Just Breath....
by Leia Avenrose
Summary: *Chp 1*//Garnet was involved in an accident six years ago, leaving her deaf. A Summoner's curse is on the loose and it's going to claim the life of one last remaining Summoner who doesn't know about her past. Can Zidane save her before it's too late? Befo


Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy IX.... SquareSoft© owns it all.... not me, not you... life's a biotch, eh?

Dedication: I guess.... to all who aren't mad at me at the moment....

_Summary_: Well... here is probably _another_ unique fanfiction for _Final Fantasy IX_ that I wrote... it has one of our characters being handicapped. *nods* Yes... handicapped, as in deaf, blind, or paralyzed. *grins deviously* You're all probably going to hate me for this fic... but... ah well... I don't give two flying hoots about that! But... I'll let you try to figure out who's the handicapped one here... and I hope you enjoy this....

**NOTE**: When the person speaks in _asdf_, that means that they are signing... as in sign lanuage... just making sure ahead of time incase you stare at the screen all bug-eyed on trying to figure what it means.... When the signer who can't speak tries to speak, their dialogue will be this... **asdf**...... another thing... When the signer signs to someone and also speaks outloud what she/he is signing, it's going to look like this... _**asdf**_

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^^Just Breath...^^

_^^Just Breath...^^_

**_Chapter 1_**

^^Troubles^^

  


The sounds that floated through the windows were of the birds that sat perched on the tree branches chirping, the soft, whispering humming of the breeze that flowed through the transparent windows and those of a young man the age of sixteen, turning seventeen in the next five days, who shored lightly.

His dark honey-gold thick strands of hair lay splayed across his handsomely featured face as his long dark soft lashes lay resting on his sleep flushed cheeks, his brow crinkled slightly as if he were in thought as his lips pursed outward everynow and then. His bare toned chest rose and fell evenly as his breathing became more deeper as he continued to sleep on, dreaming dreams that would sooner or later come true.

There was a small creak that floated through the air, followed by a few footsteps.

" _Shh!_ You're going to wake him. Boss ain't going to be too happy if we do that... remember why he's resting? ", a young twelve year old boy with spiky flame red hair hissed to the twelve year old girl behind him.

" I'm sorry! And that wasn't my fault anyway, Diddo! It was yours... ", she hissed back as she pushed past him to walk into the small room.

Diddo Lanour rolled his deep emerald green eyes at his twin sister and then followed her in, making sure to close the door quietly behind him. He watched as his sister quietly padded bare foot over to the bed and leaned over, resting her ear just above the young man's bare chest. She jutted out her chin and then a small smile turned the corner of her light rose lips upwards as she flashed her brother a thumbs up.

" He's living. He's going to live... ", Daniella Lanour whispered softly to him, her small white horn sticking out from the confines of her flame red hair, gleaming softly in the rays of sunrise that poked through the curtains.

" What do you mean by he's going to live? ", Diddo asked as he walked up to the bed, taking in the very muscular body with envious eyes.

Daniella caught the look and giggled, " Getting jealous aren't we? ", she whispered to her brother as she stepped back from the bed, crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the body.

Diddo snorted lightly, " Yeah, sure! Whatever you want to think, Daniella... "

Daniella frowned suddenly as she felt a familiar sharp feeling in her little horn. She glanced over at Diddo who stared at her with wide eyes, " D-danny? What's wrong with your horn? ", her brother asked as he took a step back from her.

Daniella closed her eyes against the pain in her eyes and head and slowly sank to her knees on the ground, clutching her head in her hands, her fingers digging into her scalp as she tried to dig the pain out from her head. A soft moan escaped her lips followed closely by a loud cry of pain as she fell to the ground on her side.

Diddo's face contorted into a mask of pain as he clutched his head as well, but didn't fall to the ground, " D-danny! Make it stop... your pain is m-my pain... I don't want it... make it go away! ", he screamed at her as a loud ringing sound inside his head continued to go off by itself.

Daniella laid on the ground, her teeth sunk so far into her bottom lip that blood trickled down her chin, dripping onto her clothes and the carpet beneath her. Diddo grunted against the pain and fell to one knee on the ground. He glanced over at Daniella and noticed that she was completely ashen in the face, her small lips a light violet and her normally bright, full of life emerald green eyes completely faded - - as if she had gotten old quickly, as if she were wasting away.

There was a loud cry from somewhere and the young name laying on the bed crinkled his nose and then bolted up in the bed as another loud cry was emitted into the air. Zidane Tribal blinked a few times, trying to dislodge the sleep from his deep forest green eyes as he looked around the room for what had caused the cry of pain to echo into his dreams.

He immediately found out who it was as soon as he slid off the bed. He found the Lanour Twins both laying on the ground in front of his bed, their limbs shaking as if having a life and mind of their own, theire eyelids twitching every few seconds as their eyes rolled back and forth, from side to side, not being able to sit in one place for more then a sceond.

There was blood that stained the plush carpet that he felt beneath his bare feet as he stood up and then rushed over to Daniella, who laid on the ground, all pale and twitching uncontrollably. He knelt down in front of her and reached out to grab her head and place it in his lap. He looked down into the small pale face and swallowed thickly.

" D-daniella? Hey... ", Zidane murmured softly as he reached out and gently slapped her cheek.

Daniella slowly opened her eyes, and they focused on Zidane's worried face before rolling around in the socket, from side to side, back and forth, " Z-zidane... is that you? Are y-you there? ", she whispered as she reached up with a twitching arm to slide it up his bare chest.

Zidane reached down and firmly grabbed her hand in his as he nodded, " Yes, yes! What happened? What's wrong with you and your brother? Tell me, Daniella.... "

Daniella swallowed and closed her eyes, " S-summoner's.... ", her voice ended off in a whisper.

Zidane shook his head and gently slapped her cheek again. Daniella's eyes snapped open and she tried to find Zidane, but couldn't, " W-what? I... I want to sleep.... ", she whispered.

Zidane shook his head again, " No! Daniella.... Summoner's what? What about the Summoner's?! "

Daniella's eyelids drooped, " Summoner's curse.... we were born with it. The curse is born with... th-he powers.... "

" But how?! How can Diddo have it? He's not even a Summoner. "

Daniella shook her head slowly, " N-no... you're wrong, Zidane... he is a Summoner... "

Diddo groaned and then coughed heavily. Blood flowed out onto the carpet as he continued to cough, unable to stop himself until he had nothing left inside of him to cough up. Zidane glanced over at Diddo's deathly white face and grimaced.

" But... you guys _can't_ leave! ", he protested.

Daniella flashed him a smile, " H-hey... look who's become all weak and soft now. You're the one who's suppose to be high and mighty... but here you are... ", she paused to cough, crimson trickling from the corner of her mouth. " all soft and weak... and why? All because we're going to be leaving? Geez, Zidane... "

Zidane reached out and gently ran his fingers through her hair, " Remember my promise? ", he murmured.

Daniella chuckled, " Z-zidane... you're too old... you're sixteen. I'm only twelve and I'm dying.... "

" Hey! Remember kiddo that age doesn't matter. "

Daniella snorted, " Yeah... well... I guess it matters to whom is calling me... "

Zidane sighed heavily and closed his eyes against a burning sensation in the back of his eyes. Daniella shuddered in his arms and continued to shudder for a long time, not really stopping until everything internally had shut down entirely. Zidane opened his eyes. Tears, wet, warm, salty slid down his cheeks to drip off his chin and land on Daniella's cheeks and lips.

" Daniella? Where is e-everyone? ", Zidane asked lightly, already knowing he wouldn't get an answer.

The Lancour Twins were dead.

Zidane sighed heavily and then reached down to scoop Daniella's fragile body into his arms as he stood up and walked over to the bed where he laid her down onto the soft mattress. He then went back to Diddo and picked him up and brought him to the bed to lay beside his sister. Zidane watched them both and felt his heart crack slowly in half.

The girl laying on the bed in front of him was suppose to be his wife. He had made a promise to her when she was younger. Perhaps it was just a childish thing, but things like this were serious to him, but what about to her? Zidane sniffled loudly, wiping his nose on the back of his glove as he reached up to wipe at his tears.

_Summoner's curse..._

Zidane closed his eyes and then fell to his knees on the ground, his head coming to a rest on the bed before he balled his hand tightly into a fist and then slammed it down onto the mattress roughly, causing the two shells, lifeless bodies to bounce with the movement. His wide, broad shoulders rose and fell with his sobs as he began to cry for the loss of his friends.

They had been apart of Tantalus; the performing troupe from Lindblum.

The door to his room opened and his Tantalus brother Blank slowly emerged, his hand resting on the handle of his dagger that laid still sheathed in it's scabbard. He spotted Zidane with clear blue eyes and slowly made his way over to him.

" Zidane? Hey.... you alright, man? ", Blank asked lightly as he knelt down beside him and rested a gentle hand on his arm.

Zidane lifted his face and looked at Blank, " I... I don't know... ", he replied softly as he brought his attention back to the dead girl laying on his bed.

Blank sighed heavily and gave Zidane's arm a gentle squeeze, " It's going to be alright, man. Don't worry about her... them... they've gone to a better place. The curse would've caught up with them anyway... "

_' If only I had been there for her.... '_

Zidane ran his tongue over his bottom lip and then sighed heavily as he stood up from the floor and stared down at the bed, " I don't know if I can go, Blank... I don't know if I could go on... ", he muttered as he clenched his hands into fists, fresh tears beginning to pool around his lashes before cascading down his cheeks.

Blank looked at Zidane, " What are you talking about?! You _have_ to go on... at least for the sake of Tantalus... "

" Why? "

" Because! Baku wouldn't hear of it if you just quit the gang... and why? All because a girl died? All because you weren't there to protect her... to save her? "

Zidane cringed and then turned his head to glare at Blank, " This girl who died was my future _wife!_ But.. you wouldn't be able to understand stuff like that because... you've never felt it.. you've never been in love have you? "

Blank snorted and then turned to leave the room, " You think you've been in love? ", he shot back over his shoulder.

Zidane turned and watched him walk to the door, " My love is... dead. Gone from my life... "

Blank shook his head hard, " Zidane... you've never experienced love until you _know_ for sure that you've experienced it... ", he replied as he left the room and Zidane...

  
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_" What are you doing? Where are you going?! "_ , Brahne Til Alexandros the 16th signed as her daughter, Garnet Til Alexandros the 17th turned on her heel and stalked from the room, her head held high, her back straight and stiff and her hands balled into tight fists that swung at her sides.

_" I'm going where I'm appreciated, mother! "_, Garnet shot over her shoulder as spun around to sign back to her mother before spinning back around as she shoved open the double doors to the throne room and headed down the dimly lit hallway towards the stairs that would lead her to the balcony.

_' I can't believe she's doing this! This is outrageous... I swear tis! '_, Garnet thought to herself angrily as she flew up the long flight of stairs to the roof where she would be left alone for the rest of the afternoon to think about things that would never happen to her.

What Garnet longed most was to be able to hear, to be able to speak properly... not the way that she did now, all muffled and completely non-understandable gibberish. Another thing she longed was that someone would come and rescue her from this tower... this prison. Her mother was like a prisonwarden, never letting her out of her sight, never letting her out of hearing range.

Garnet snorted softly and then began to take the stairs two at a time since it was taking too long for her liking. She wished that some kind of prince would come and take her away on a white horse, away from her tower, away from this life, away from herself, bringing along with him a thing that could get her hearing again _and_ speaking.

_' That's never going to happen... no prince on a white horse is going to come here to rescue me... '_, Garnet reminded herself as she slowly pushed open the door to the roof where the white doves flew away from the sudden noise that the door made.

Garnet sighed heavily in content and sadness as she stepped out onto the balcony, her small hands clasped behind her back as she walked towards the stone railing that overlooked the large town of Alexandria, her home, her birthplace (that's what _she_ thinks....).

_' I'm never going to be free. I'm never going to learn how to speak again. I'm never ever going to hear again... am I? What is this planet coming to? '_, Garnet asked herself as she leaned over on the railing, propping her chin on her palm as she propped her elbow on the railing, a faint, bored smile curling one side of her light pink lips upwards.

Someone touched her shoulder and she jumped, uttering a startled cry as she spun around to see who had tapped her. She found her new friend that she had just met a couple of months ago whil travelling with her mother, little six year old, Eiko Carol. Eiko's small white horn gleamed in the sunlight as she tilted her head to the side to study Garnet's startled expression.

Eiko pointed a finger to her heart and then circled it, _" Sorry... "_

Garnet let out a breath of relief and then shook her head as she began to sign to her friend about what had happened earlier with her mother, _" Mother is so unfair! Would you like to trade places with me? You seem to get to go and come as you please, Eiko, while I'm trapped here, in this castle, doing nothing because I can't! I'm a dumb-dumb, Eiko.. I really am... "_

Eiko shook her head hard and spoke outloud as she signed the words, _**" You are *not* a dumb-dumb, Garnet! The only dumb-dumb I see here is.. well, me. Now... don't go and protest on me, but it's true. I'm the one who should be deaf and not be able to speak... I'm the one who should be having your problems. It's not right for you to have them... you voice was beautiful... right? "**_

Garnet frowned and then slowly shrugged, _" I don't know... was it? I can't remember *that* far back. I don't even think I was born until up to the age of six.... remember? I turned into a dumb-dumb at the age of eight.... "_

Eiko pursed her lips and made sure that her signings were met with stiff, curt actions to prove that she was getting fed up, _" Do I have to say it again?! *You're* not the dumb-dumb, Garnet! *I'm* the dumb-dumb.... now... let's say it again... Garnet's not the dumb-dumb... Eiko here is the dumb-dumb... "_

Garnet rolled her soft chocolate brown eyes and then shook her head as she shrugged, _" Alright, alright! I get where you're going at with this, Eiko.... "_, she snapped. _" But... remember, no prince charming on a white horse is going to come and take me away from my tower for a *long* time. It'll be you who'll be leaving this tower before I... "_

Eiko suddenly giggled and Garnet quirked a quizzical eyebrow at her. Eiko shook her head, _" N-nothing... I was just thinking about how funny that would be when I leave this place before you do.... that would be weird... "_

Garnet nodded, _" I know! I just don't know what to do anymore.... "_

Eiko glanced over her shoulder at the door at the other end of the balcony and then looked up at Garnet who looked at her strangely before looking at the door that was straining against the gold hinges, _" What's going on? Why's it doing that? "_, Garnet asked as she kept her eyes on the door, bringing them down to meet Eiko's terror filled eyes everyonce and a while.

Eiko blinked and then signed, _" I... I don't know... I'm sorry.... "_, she apologized as she circled her heart.

Garnet sighed heavily and then brushed past Eiko to make her way to the door. Eiko began to yell at her, but nothing was getting through to Garnet. Eiko sighed heavily in defeat and chased after her. Garnet reached the door that rattled against it's hinges and it couldn't possibly do that on it's own... something strange was going on here...

Garnet reached out and wrapped her hand around the doorknob before yanking it open to find a _really_ scary surprise standing there, staring at her, a completely shocked expression plastered to it's pale face....

  


  
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{**Author's Note**: Well... whatcha think of it so far? Pretty bad, eh? *nods* I thought so... *giggles and shrugs* Ah well... I'll be coming out with the next chapter probably later on tonight. Right now... it's time to go to bed... after I listen to Love Will Grow one... _last_ ....time..... Read and Review _please!!_ Thanks!....}


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